Mixed reviews for first change in Westminster's long history

Updated 8:55 pm, Tuesday, February 12, 2013

Handler JoAnn Freise White, left, and groomer Maria Agrinsonis readies Stormy, a giant schnauzer, for competition during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. For related coverage go to www.westminsterkennelclub.org. less

Handler JoAnn Freise White, left, and groomer Maria Agrinsonis readies Stormy, a giant schnauzer, for competition during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City on Tuesday, ... more

Handler Gabriel Rangel shows Abbey, a giant schnauzer from Greenwich, during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. For related coverage go to www.westminsterkennelclub.org. less

Handler Gabriel Rangel shows Abbey, a giant schnauzer from Greenwich, during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. For related coverage go to ... more

Handler Gabriel Rangel, right, shows Abbey, a giant schnauzer from Greenwich, to judge Paula Nykiel during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. For related coverage go to www.westminsterkennelclub.org. less

Handler Gabriel Rangel, right, shows Abbey, a giant schnauzer from Greenwich, to judge Paula Nykiel during the 137th Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show at Pier 92/94 in New York City on Tuesday, Feb. 12, 2013. ... more

NEW YORK -- The Westminster Kennel Club Dog show is all about tradition, but one aspect of the show's legacy has lost some of its pedigree.

This year, for the first time in the dog show's 137-year history, parts of the two-day competition were moved from Madison Square Garden to Piers 92-94, an event space 20 blocks north along the Hudson River.

Organizers say the move created more space for breed judging and the benching area than the cramped arena allowed. The judging for the various dog groups -- such as hound, toy, herding and terrier -- as well as the coveted Best in Show award, was still held at the Garden on Monday and Tuesday nights.

Most competitors agreed the new arrangement was better for the dogs. The benching area at the Garden, where spectators can interact with the pooches, was cramped, and it often got very hot.

"It doesn't have that feel of being in the Garden, but there's more room," said Michael McLoughlin, a New York City resident who showed his Tibetan terrier Rosie, a Stamford dog, at Pier 92 on Monday.

Westminster provided shuttle buses between the piers and the dog-friendly hotels, such as The New Yorker and The Hotel Pennsylvania, popular with Westminster competitors, so the canines didn't have to slog through the slush left over from the weekend blizzard.

There was also plenty of room for the poodles and sheepdogs to get a blowout.

"I love it," said Katherine Lebario, a groomer from Maryland. "It's a lot of space, and you're not as crammed, especially in the grooming area."

The Garden was getting way too crowded, which worried some longtime attendees.

"Heaven forbid there was a fire at the Garden," said Donna Yanek, a Greenville, S.C., resident who has come to the show as a spectator for many years. "A lot of people and animals wouldn't make it out."

Competitors and visitors noted there are some kinks to work out. Crowds swelled during the breed judging and people's views were blocked. Spectators could sit in the stands at the Garden, and some suggested getting bleachers so people had a better view.

Still, showing a dog at the Garden is part of history, an aspect that some say was lost in the change. Westminster is only one of three tenants to stage an event in each of the four incarnations of Madison Square Garden, first located at Madison Avenue and 26th Street in 1877.

"The Garden is traditional," said Greenwich resident Linda Low, who showed her giant schnauzer Abbey at Pier 94 Tuesday afternoon. "I miss that part of it, the traditional part."

Since only seven dogs make it to the big events at the Garden, it is a bit of a letdown for the rest of the 2,700 people who come from around the country to compete at Westminster.

"I feel a little sorry for people whose bucket list includes showing at the Garden," said Nell Brown, who traveled from Bunnell, Fla., to show her giant schnauzer and otterhound. "If you're a singer, it's Carnegie Hall."